2 min read
13 Jan

This week we Lectio The Liturgy with the Prayer Over the Offering for the Second Week in Ordinary Time. In this prayer this week, we find a surprise definition and the work of each person of the Trinity.

Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that we may participate worthily in these mysteries, for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated the work of our redemption is accomplished. Through Christ our Lord.

Our prayer addresses the first Person of the Trinity, God the Father, as “Lord.” We know that because in the last line of the prayer we pray through our mediator, Christ our Lord. We actually pray the words of Jude 1:25, “to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord …”

In the prayer, through Jesus, we ask God that we would participate worthily in these mysteries. The mysteries in this prayer refer to what we celebrate in the liturgy, Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, who is Christ. Jesus is the reality behind every word and action of our liturgy. 

The surprise definition comes in the word participate.We would define participate as to take part of. However, in the Latin form of the prayer, for the word participate, we find the word 

requentare, which means to go regularly, or to attend a class, or school. The remainder of the prayer is the “why” we so strongly want to regularly attend the “school” of the Mass, that we ask God for help.

For whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated… In the Latin prayer, we don’t find the conjunction for, we find the word because. The reason we ask that we participate worthily, is because the work of our redemption is accomplished whenever the memorial of the sacrifice is celebrated.

Sometimes we take the things that we have for granted. If you lived in Rome and walked past St. Peter’s every day, it would eventually become no big deal. When I go to Rome, I can’t take my eyes off the view, how the church is framed by the colonnades, the fountain, and I take even more pictures so I can see it all I want.

In the prayer, when we hear “the memorial of this sacrifice,” it is our view of St. Peter’s Square. it should be something that amazes us, something that captures our attention and drops us to our knees in awe every time. The memorial of the sacrifice is the self-offering of Christ and we should be amazed.

Actually, as I meditated on this prayer, I asked Jesus what should be on our minds as pray with these mysteries at Mass. His words to me were wonder, awe, and thanksgiving. If I would have been standing at the foot of the cross that day, witnessing Him sacrifice His life, I’m pretty sure that wonder, awe, and thanksgiving would not have been on my mind. However, if these words are on my mind today, it is because the work is being accomplished.

This is where the Persons of the Trinity complete our prayer. We address this prayer to the Father and we find Jesus in the mysteries, which are the memorial of the sacrifice we celebrate. When we engage in this memorial, the Holy Spirit can begin His work.

The work of our redemption is a divine action, but this action requires us to participate in it. We need to have open minds and hearts to receive God’s action. When we allow the Spirit to work, redemption is accomplished and we are brought closer to God.

When we say “yes” to God, we are brought into an interesting exchange. God gives us the grace to worthily participate in the mysteries, the memorial of the sacrifice of Jesus is rooted more deeply in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us to give back to the Father an even deeper “yes.” As we frequentare these mysteries, we become more and more like Christ.

Thanks for praying with me,
Julie

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